Thread Tools

The distribution is remakably the same. As expected and planned, there has been indeed been a lower reliance on the top 2 receivers with the #3 receiver picking up the slack. The big change is that we have a TE as our #3 receiver rather than the backup slotback.

And yes, as someone pointed out, guys like Tate and Edelman (and Price) don't get many reps. There are five targets before them (Welker, Moss, Hernandez, Grankowksi and Woodhead). Obviously some game plans call for the use of a healthy Tate. Given a healthy Tate, I wouldn't expect us to use our #7 target Edelman at all.

I think it is all good. We use our #6 and #7 receiver targets primarily as returners. I have no problem with that.

BTW, Brady is completing 21.5 passes a game compared to 24.4 passes per game last year. I suspect that this is due to the reduced time of possession rather than less reliance on the pass.
==========================

I think the shift is somewhat large. From 53% to 45%, the numbers kind of look like this (assuming even splits for the top 2 WRs - Which I know is not the case, I'm just too lazy to look up the numbers, unlike the OP)

2009:
#1 - 27%
#2 - 26%
#3 - 9%

2010:
#1 - 23%
#2 - 22%
#3 - 16%

I know it doesn't look like a huge change, but I look at it like the #3 receiver is getting almost double the looks than from a year ago. I see it as a substantial improvement.